Judy Cornwell talks about her dream role of playing Miss Marple

Judy Cornwell in A Murder Is Announced at Chesterfield's Pomegranate Theatre from September 7-12, 2015

Gay Bolton

Published:08:03Wednesday 02 September 2015

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When you are an actress of a certain age and some clout you can pick and choose the roles you want to do.

Judy Cornwell is revelling in the joy of finally capturing a character she’s had her eye on for a long time.

She said: “I’m at that point where I would only do things if I really wanted to do them. When my agent came along with Miss Marple I thought ‘oh now, I would like to have a go at that.’ Playing Marple is the dream role.

“It’s wonderful because I am now the right age. I’m 75 and at this age you’ve got to take something like this on and learn it. And you’re thinking ‘thank God I haven’t got dementia or anything because that would be problems.

“My favourite Miss Marple was Joan Hickson, I had worked with her on a Miss Marple TV episode and seen how professional she was. During the episode I was murdered, so it was nice that she solved it!”

Judy - who is best known for playing Daisy in TV’s Keeping Up Appearances - stars as the amateur detective in A Murder Is Announced which tours to Chesterfield’s Pomegranate Theatre next week.

She said: “I love Miss Marple, she is very underplayed and very normal - she’s got a very good philosophy in life and she is very kind.

“She’s highly intelligent and she is extremely observant of every little thing that is going on. I hope to do her justice - she is a very clever, articulate woman.

“I don’t think she could ever get married, she would know if her husband was up to anything before he even did it! But you don’t know about her - it could be that she lost someone special in the war. I think she would have probably been in something like the intelligence area herself as there were a lot of women doing things like that.”

Unlike Miss Marple, Judy is married. She said: “I miss my husband when we are touring. We have been married for 55 years and he is the most wonderful cook. We are just the best of friends and we love each other.”

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